Dr. Awad: Hello, my vibrant friend. Thank you so much for being here today. I'm thrilled to have a super interesting guest for you today. Helen Finlay of the Finlay and Green skincare line.
Helen is an awesome and interesting person because she has been a Hollywood makeup artist for more than 20 years, and now she's launched a skincare company for women in menopause. And I just remember when I started, you know, with the menopause transition, all of a sudden all the products that I used to use just don't work anymore.
So this is a wonderful, wonderful offering. Helen, first, just because this is fun that you work in Hollywood, tell our audience some of the movies that you've worked on.
Helen Finlay: Well, thanks for having me. Yeah, I've worked on Pirates of the Caribbean, Blades of Glory, TV shows like Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Goldbergs.
Barry, yeah, quite, quite, quite a few now.
Dr. Awad: Yeah, very fun.
Helen Finlay: It's been a lot of fun.
Dr. Awad: Cool. And what's kind of, do you have like a favorite makeup thing that you do, a certain type of thing or?
Helen Finlay: I do both. So I do beauty makeup and special effects. I think, you know, it kind of benefits you as an artist if you can do both, you know, a lot more job opportunities.
So I like both, you know, sometimes you do shows and it's just pure beauty for seasons after seasons. And so it's kind of good to kind of get your hands dirty and do something, you know, like a, I don't know, like a fat makeup or there's a murder scene or something. So yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Dr. Awad: Yeah.
Helen Finlay: Not the normal nine to five, you know?
Dr. Awad: Right. Definitely. Oh, that's cool. So, you know, thankfully there are more and more midlife characters in film and TV is great to be represented and have our stories out there. But it must be interesting for the women who are kind of going through this transition as well in midlife and beyond to be on screen.
And can you tell us a little bit how this plays out for them?
Helen Finlay: Yeah. Well, I think it's in a way, it's a bit like, you know, for you and me, someone takes a photograph of you and you look at it and you go, Oh my God, delete it. Right. But if you're, if you've just shot a scene, they can't just delete it or change it because you don't like how you look, but it can be really hard.
You know, technology is advancing. Everyone has these fantastic HDTVs now in their home and they're massive. Yeah. They show every detail and the color is fantastic, but you as an actress or an actor, you know, you, you've got perceived flaws and they get magnified. So it can be really disconcerting and, you know, and I think some do struggle with it.
So yeah, it's not easy. I think they're just like us, but unfortunately their image gets posted everywhere in the biggest form. So there's no escape. Yeah.
Dr. Awad: It's true. I have really noticed that with the new HD TVs that you, you're like, wow, I can see what's going for all the people on the screen. I can see what's going on in their skin, you know, and I don't think we noticed that when it was just like on the big screen or, or the old TV user.
Helen Finlay: Yeah, yeah, scary.
Dr. Awad: Yeah. Tell us about your new company, how Finlay Greene, you know, how long has it been around and why did you decide to launch this skincare company for menopausal women?
Helen Finlay: It really came about from my journey and like you said, you, you're Products that you've been using for years just don't work anymore.
And you know, my transition was kind of difficult, you know, the lack of information out there and the lack of products. So it was really, those are the things, they were the trigger points. So I really wanted to create a line of products that were specifically tailored for menopause. And that was safe and that were clean and that were, you know, there was no clean washing or greenwashing or anything.
It was really important to me too that they had no hormones or hormone disruptors. So I'm just trying to bring out the best possible product for women during that phase of their life. But it was really an answer to what I wished I had. So that's really how it all came about.
Dr. Awad: Well, that's terrific. I mean, you thought about all the important aspects that will make a real difference for people, I think. So that's beautiful. You know, I remember going to a party and walking up to a really close friend of mine when I was in my mid-forties. And I said, you know, I think I'm having hot flashes at night. And she turned to me and with her face dead serious said, no, you're not. And turned around and walked away.
And I thought, Oh my gosh. So this is what the transition is going to be like. I mean, we, some people just don't want to talk about it. Right. I mean, what do you think of all that?
Helen Finlay: Yeah, some people don't, but my experience is that people do are starting to talk about it now. You know, we've done a lot of A/B testing and we've found that our ads that just mention clean skincare and those that mention perimenopause or post, they're neck and neck.
So people are clearly not put off by seeing the word anymore. And we also found some other research too that, as you know, there are 75 million of us women in the United States who are experiencing some kind of menopause. And there was a stat out there saying that 79% of us wanted skincare specific. So, I think, you know, if they're starting to want these products, they're starting to learn about menopause, it's starting to become the forefront of conversation a bit more.
So, I think all that's good. You know, and hopefully, you know, it encourages the medical profession too, to kind of catch up because I think they've, you know, neglected women in this space because they've had a lack of education too. So hopefully, you know, our voice is stronger now and we can get the things, services that we need, you know?
Dr. Awad: Right, right. Yeah. There's actually like a menopause certification you can get for doctors. I'm looking at this and going. This is bread and butter medicine. Why isn't everybody, why hasn't everybody learned this? Why do I have to read a special book, you know, and take a special class?
Helen Finlay: Right. I know. I, I found a great nonprofit, which you, you probably know it's called
Let's Talk Menopause, and it's a great place for a resource.
And, and as you say, they have a list of doctors that have done that course that you've just talked about. So it's a good go-to. A good, I think, gets your first port of call. I, yeah, I definitely advise people to check that out.
Dr. Awad: Nice. Thanks. So how does menopause affect skin specifically?
Helen Finlay: Well, it affects it in so many ways, unfortunately, and it's really down to your hormone levels, your estrogen and progesterone and that.
But when your estrogen levels change well, basically estrogen is linked to your collagen levels and your hyaluronic acid levels. So once your estrogen goes down, so does your collagen. So you know, women experience, I think it's a 30 percent reduction in collagen in the first five years of menopause.
So it's, it's, you know, it's, it's, it's a huge number. So your skin is going to be more thin, more dry. You're going to see more sagging, fine lines and wrinkles. You know, some of us will have hormonal acne, hyperpigmentation. And if you're like me, who was really bad at putting sunscreen on as a teenager, that, that, those brown spots are coming back to haunt me now.
So yeah, menopause really does impact the skin, unfortunately.
Dr. Awad: Yeah, I feel all those. I feel that whole list.
You know, what, what in particular do people complain about? Is it the You know, is it the dryness or the thinning? I mean, what are people noticing when they're having to change their skincare routine at menopause?
Helen Finlay: The big thing that we found, it's the dryness, right? It's getting that hydration into your skin and locking it into your skin too.
Because if your skin is not nice and moist, you know, your foundations don't go on as well. And things like that. But I think too, when your skin is drier, it just highlights those fine lines and wrinkles and things. So number one, I think it's the dryness. And number two is really the sagging. We hear a lot about that too.
Yeah. Which is like I mentioned, it was the drop in collagen. Yeah.
Dr. Awad: Right. So how can we maximize the benefits of our moisturizers? We find a good moisturizer like yours and, and, And what do we do?
Helen Finlay: Right, the key is, like you say, finding a good moisturizer. Looking for certain key products too, like hyaluronic acid is great at kind of drawing in moisture and helping to lock it in.
So yeah, looking for a really good quality moisturizer and, you know, and the easiest thing is to try and find something that's tailored to where you're at. But But yeah, but there's other things other than just your moisturizer and you've got to drink plenty of water. But I would say moisturizer, the best thing to do and a really good way of kind of locking in that hydration is put it on within a minute of washing your face.
And because you'll add, you'll draw in that little bit of moisture that you still have on the surface of your skin, you'll draw that back into your skin. Doing things like putting a moisturizer on in your steamy bathroom, things, little things like that can really add moisture levels in your skin, surprisingly.
But really it's getting a great moisturizer, keeping your skincare routine pretty simple. And don't forget your SPF. I mean, that's super important, you know, even during the wintertime, you should use an SPF, you know.
Dr. Awad: Yeah, now is there hyaluronic, I'm going to say this, hyaluronic acid, is that in your moisturizer or is that a separate thing that we should be using?
Helen Finlay: No, it is in my moisturizer and I do think it is a product that women in this phase should be looking for. Other ingredients like squalene and peptides and niacinamide. These are really great kind of core products that ingredients rather, that you should be looking for. I mean, we get bombarded, don't we?
With so many products, it's hard to know what to use, but those I would say are some of the key ingredients.
Dr. Awad: Yeah. Great. Great. You know, because of the skin changes, what are some things we should be avoiding at menopause?
Helen Finlay: I would say, you know, be really careful when you exfoliate, you know, exfoliation is great, but, you know, be careful what you're doing, you know, maybe go for more of the chemical peels rather than those really gritty, maybe those, you know, the apricot kernels, you know, the sugars and everything, because they're just gonna probably damage your skin barrier, which you, you need intact to kind of keep that moisture in.
So things like salicylic acid is a good one or glycolic acid, but go easy on it. Don't, don't be doing it, you know, too often and gradually lead up to it. Retinols again, great, but, you know, be careful with the retinols. Don't overdo them. Maybe consider some less harsh alternatives like bacutial or peptides, you know lots of brands have retinol alternatives and, you know, that might be the first step if you want to try a retinol is to maybe go that route first.
Dr. Awad: Yeah. Okay. And I'd like to just ask you about about washing your face. You know that sometimes I'm looking at TikTok and, you know, I'm watching this 28 year old wash her face and I'm thinking, I'm not sure this is for me. You know, do we, you know, there's the double wash and there's the, you know, using a soap or not using a soap and the wipes and any, any thoughts or recommendations?
Helen Finlay: Yeah, I mean, it's really important to cleanse your skin just to get, you know, the debris off your skin. I personally go with a nice kind of gel cleanser, gel to cream cleanser, something like that, that I can do in the shower, that I can really just rub on my face. You know, and, and, you know, and do it in the shower.
I don't find those cream cleansers where you put on a cotton pad. I don't. I don't like those, because I like to have clean feeling skin but generally that's what I would do. You know, a terry cloth, a little, you know, face cloth is great. You know, you put your cleanser on your face and like with a nice warm cloth, you, you wipe it off and that's a great gentle exfoliator too.
So that's, that's what I recommend. Yeah.
Dr. Awad: Nice. And do, should we still do this bedtime and morning or?
Helen Finlay: Yeah, I
mean, I, I'm really bad at doing it sometimes at night. You're so tired, just want to get into bed. Yeah. You should definitely, yeah, cleanse your face morning and night. Yeah, for sure.
Dr. Awad: Yeah. Okay. You know, tell us a little bit more about the Finlay Green brand philosophy.
You touched on it a little bit, but I'd like to, you know, our audience to hear about it again.
Helen Finlay: Yeah, we want to be seen as like that honest brand, you know, that brand that really kind of stands out. We've got integrity, you know, our products are truly effective, you know, we offer very easily digestible information so it can help women on their journey.
You know, if you're forewarned, you're forearmed kind of thing. So yeah, we really want to be seen as that really good, clean, honest brand, that go-to that you can rely on. And you know, we believe too, you know, We don't have hormones in our products or hormone disruptors. That was really important to us.
And certainly, you know, some women come into menopause because they've had cancers and the chemotherapy and, you know, they won't want a hormone in their skincare. So it, that was really important to us too. Yeah.
Dr. Awad: That's beautiful. And will you be adding more products to your line?
Helen Finlay: We will. We've got our cleanser and our eye cream coming out shortly.
We have a serum coming out too. And yeah, we're all about, you know, less is more, having a very streamlined system and where each product is multitasking. So, you know, your day cream can be your night cream. Our serums are going to be boosters, so you can add them to your eye cream or your moisturizer.
So Yeah. Just trying to cut down on the steps and make it easy for women, really. Yeah.
Dr. Awad: Nice. Can you give us some general ideas about makeup products? Because again, you know, it seems like all the things we put on our face, you know, are not the, are not the best anymore once, once we hit perimenopause and beyond.
Helen Finlay: I know for me, it was like overnight. I just suddenly think, Oh my God, my makeup's not working anymore. And it was just awful. So I, I recommend, you know, again, it's, it's about, you want your skin to look nourished and hydrated and you want it to have that nice glow. And if it has a glow, it reflects.
And so you're going to diminish signs of, you know, your fine lines and wrinkles. They're going to, you're going to see them less. So I would say avoid too many powders. You know, look for a foundation that has a soft sheen, you know, a little dewy finish, something like that. There's lots of brands out there, drugstore brands too.
And there's, there's, you know, Armani, they have luminous silk, which is the favorite of the actresses. And that has a really nice sheen, but there is a L'Oreal equivalent to that now, which is much, much cheaper. Looking for cream eyeshadows, you know, they're great and they're easy to put on too. And that's another one.
Cream blushes, cream bronzers too. You know, again, that's going to reflect the light and you're just going to, it's going to look more youthful, more fresh. So they would be my tips in them. Maybe try and add a little bit more definition back in your face. You don't have to look like a 20 year old or, you know, like some influences that you see in, and they're all really contoured, but just a little bronzer on all those areas that the sun would naturally hit, it would just make you look like you've been on vacation, you know, it just freshen you up a little bit.
Yeah.
Dr. Awad: Great. Well, thank you for all this. These are wonderful tips, and I hope our audience will go check out your website. I want everyone to know that we'll have all of your connections in the show notes. But you also have an offer, which we will put in the show notes, but if you could just tell people about it, and tell people where to find you for those who are only going to listen.
Helen Finlay: Yeah, so we have an offer, it's a 20% offer to all your listeners, and the code is VIB 20, so VIB, vibrant. This is the show 20, and you can find us at FinleyandGreen.com. So we're available online. And you can find us also on Instagram, again, Finley and Green. And yeah, and reach out to me if you go to our contact page on the website, you know.
I personally look at all those messages. So if you have any questions, you know I'll be the one answering you. So I'd love to hear from you.
Dr. Awad: Nice. Well, thank you so much for being here. It's been really terrific.
Helen Finlay: Thank you. No, I really appreciate you bringing up the topic. It's a, it's great. Thank you.
Dr. Awad: Yeah. I can't wait to see what else you come out with too. So, all right. Well, thanks everyone for listening today and uh, spending your time with us. Take care.
